Beoz

Bizarrely you can go skiing this weekend. There is snow to ski on and it's a little damp - just remember to pack a pair of shorts and t-shirt. It 20 degrees in Thredbo.

Edit: and a big wallet

Expat Kiwi

1 & 2. We felt we were outgrowing New Zealand and needed to broaden our horizons. We'd always enjoyed holidays in Australia but knew they would be so much different to living there.

Australia is often portrayed in a negative light in New Zealand and it was very hard to overcome that conditioning. All the usual stuff about fires, heat, drought, poisonous animals, sharks, rampant crime (all those convict jibes that Aussies often attract) but we started kicking around the idea properly and doing the research.

We knew we wanted to come over as genuine, long term migrants, rather than on special category visas. It took a while and it was hard work but that was worth the effort as we now have citizenship and all of the security and benefits that brings. It felt good to make the commitment too. I wear my Aussie citizenship with pride.

Part of the research was extensive reading of this forum and listening to the stories of people who'd made the move successfully. I recall being particularly inspired by the posts of Ian&Sharon, and Buzzy Bee who'd achieved what we were aspiring to and appeared to be loving it here.

3. Permanently, no plans at all to return.

4. Yes, part of the research was visiting the areas we were interested in, assessing job opportunities, neighbourhoods, schools, climate etc. The sort of things that aren't easy to do when long distances are involved. That doesn't mean there wasn't a degree of culture shock, there was. But we were prepared for it and it quickly passed, but one of the things that took the most effort was getting used to Medicare and private health cover and how the two dovetail together. I think New Zealand's ACC system is simpler but wherever you go you ultimately get what you pay for, and part of that means having more choice. You pays your money.....

5. Yes. Absolutely the right decision and one that I'd make again, and I'd still head for Queensland. Second choice would be WA.

chris955

Lucky I didnt get a ticket, I was doing almost 3 times the limit

chris955

But the weather is the most important thing in the world.....isn't it ?

Pit Bull.

There are a lot of people who are like this, me I love life in the UK, I'm really happy here, I'm not trying to escape from anything, the UK is a brilliant place to live, I don't expect it to be any better or worse in Australia, but unless I have a huge personality change, I do expect to be happy there, if not I won't moan about it and let it effect my outlook on life and I will just come back to the UK and carry on enjoying my life.

Bernieboy

Married an aussie,moved to oz,****ed up,divorced aussie,moved back to UK,presently very happy on Guernsey(except for price of loaf)but i WILL return,you have been warned

Zen10

Yes I like UK life as well and will be there again one day I hope. There's so much bickering about which country is best the main point is overlooked - and that is how lucky most of us are to be able to choose between two countries so different and diverse in so many ways, as are Britain and Australia, and both are excellent places to live, all in all. Arguing about the price of lettuce or petrol is just obsessing on tiny details, frankly, and those with the choice to live in either country (or both) should reflect that the vast majority of people in both nations are stuck in one or the other for ever!

Beoz

Hooray ..... well put Zen ..... having the luxury to roam, live, work, between both should not be taken for granted. I've done 2 stints living in Oz and 2 living in the UK and they still ask me which country will I settle down in ..... the answer is both.

oz miller man

1. What made you first think about emigrating?

WHV back in 1996, sister lives here (far north QLD), the surf (came from Cornwall), the weather (grew up in Yorkshire)

2. When did this happen?

2003 landed in Sydney

3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?
Intended to go back and did after 2 years to have children and be near family.....found it too hard to settle back home. Been back here 6 years


4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?
Saw loads on the working holiday (Cairns - Perth via Alice) and traveled all the east coast in the first year to find our perfect spot (north coast NSW)


5. Do you think you made the right decision?
yep, but still miss lots of things about the UK
Loved the Sydney life when it was just me and the mrs and now the small coastal community life for the kids suits us.
in the future who knows, Citizens now so no pressure. Happier, healthier and finacialy better off here than the UK but we have always said if we won the loto we could very well split out time 50/50 between the two

Pit Bull.

I agree totally.

WestLondonWelshman

Look I wasn't being serious with my examples just lending a view. I could and have quite happily lived in Australia. For me it wouldn't make sense to move back to Australia at the moment. We're both very settled in London and have good jobs. Having a young baby it make sense having our close family reachable and we have a nice lifestyle here in London and also a home on the south coast. If I moved to australia at this moment in time I'd lose out on the exchange rate and we wouldn't have the family support.

I think people with young families shouldn't estimate how important it is to have your family close. Childcare costs a fortune and isn't quality of life more than anything else about having your friends and family close by?

benedict1843

[QUOTE=Pomster;10289451]1. What made you first think about emigrating?
2. When did this happen?
3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?
4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?
5. Do you think you made the right decision?

1. Never thought about emigrating- a secondment with work cam up and it seemed worth a punt. I had never even visited Aus.
2. 2000
3. Only planned to stay the 2 years of my original posting, but this stretched to 10 years, PR, citizenship, marriage, a child.... Work eventually recalled me and we decided an 18 month sojourn back to UK would be a good change.
4. 2 years back in UK have now passed and we will be returning at the end of the month....feel ready to return.
5. Nothing needs to be forever and I am glad (for a huge variety of reasons) to have been in UK for 2 years, but we are ready to go back home to
Hi sorry just sent you a private message to see if you were still here, and here you are

benedict1843

Hi pomster sorry just sent you a private message to see if you were still here, and here you are

Pit Bull.

Your right mate, some people are just miserable no matter where they live, some post negatives over and over to satisfy some twisted urge inside them, they stick out like sore thumbs, it's funny they are like silly kids in the schoolyard saying, my dads bigger than your dad.

quoll

I think that is a good point - while you have the luxury to move on then you can live anywhere - heck, I was reasonably happy in Australia for 20 years but it wasn't until the iron bars clanged down and it appeared there was going to be no escape that the depression set in - I don't think anyone likes being trapped even if you live in paradise! I guess you never quite know what the future holds but the one thing I would suggest to all migrants is to constantly make active decisions about where your life is taking you - it is so easy to go with the flow even though you know in your heart that it really isn't the direction you want to go in.

For us - 1979, my Aussie husband got an offer he couldn't refuse
We thought it would be just another step and we would move on
We knew what we were going to and had lived in a foreign country before
Was it the right decision? Of course it was, at the time but would I do it again knowing what I know now - nope or at least I would be more proactive in getting what I wanted out of life rather than taking the easy option.

Will I go back to Australia? Very likely but you never know what life has in store for you and I will be working like hell to avoid a move but it is our current compromise situation.